The Letter
by Ace Lannigan
Summary: [Complete] Ron wasn't in school and Kim found a disturbing note in her locker. What happens when she confronts Ron about it? Drakken makes an appearance as well.
1. The Letter

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The Letter

The day started almost like any other in the life of Kim Possible, she was up early and off to school, the exception today was she was heading to school alone. Ron had called her and told her he was staying home sick. It wasn't like him to miss school on 'Taco Day' no matter how sick he was. She put any doubts she had out of her mind when the morning bell rang. She was going to be late for class and another tardy meant detention, and cheerleaders don't do detention. She had to skip stopping by her locker and hurry to Chemistry. Class wasn't the same without Ron. They were best friends, but lately she had been feeling that there was -_something-_ between them.

She was at her locker intending to drop off her jacket and pick up her Latin book when she found it. A plain white envelope with her name written on it. She didn't think much of it, using it as a quick bookmark. _'I'll look at it later.' _She had almost forgotten about the envelope, until she was in Study Hall. _'May as well see what this is.'_

Dear Kim,

Putting these words to paper hasn't been easy, I've lost track of how many times I had to start over. I should have told you this sooner. But I waited until today, which was a stupid thing to do. Its not like I've been busy, I don't have much of a life left to take up my time. Not like you. Here's the thing -- I love you.

I know that sounds dumb, but it's the truth. You're so beautiful that sometimes I can't even breathe when I'm around you. Don't think that this is just a physical thing either. There are so many things that make you beautiful. You're smart, much more so than I. The way you treat people, you're always so nice. You don't care if someone is a dork or a loser, you treat us all the same. Those aren't the only reasons I feel the way I do, but they are the major ones. There are so many other things, too many to list here. I guess a lot of the things I like about you are the things I wish I could have been.

I'm sure you're wondering who I am, don't bother to look for my name, you won't find it. I'm just someone that shared part of his day with you. Those were the best parts of my day, I got to see you, to be near you. Please don't be creeped out by this. I don't spend every waking moment thinking of you or have some psycho shrine to you or anything. I'm completely harmless, besides by the time you read this--I'll be gone.

Kim couldn't help but get freaked out by what she had just read. Only one name entered her mind **_'Ron'_**.

She bolted from the table and headed down the hall, she had to get to his house. She had to get there before he could…well she didn't want to think about what he was going to do. She just had to get to him.

__

I know that I can never be with you. I suppose you're wondering why I even wrote this. I had to write this--to let you know how I feel. I couldn't imagine leaving without telling you. Goodbye.

She ran, ran faster than she ever had before. She tried calling his phone but there was no answer. _'Why are you doing this Ron? Why didn't you tell me? God, please don't be doing this.'_ She opened the door to his house with the spare key his parents gave her. _'In case you kids were on a mission and needed to get in.'_ She looked around the lower level, he wasn't downstairs. Then she heard it, music coming from upstairs. From his room. Soft and low, quiet as death.

_**If I'm gonna cry (will you wipe away my tears?)  
And if I'm gonna die (Lord please take away my fear)  
Before I drown in sorrow (I just want to say)  
How will I laugh tomorrow when I can't even smile today?**_

She ran up the stairs to his room. She opened the door cautiously, not wanting to see what she feared was waiting inside. When she peered around the door she saw, his empty room. _'Where is he?' _The music was coming from the bathroom. Had he slit his wrists in the tub? _'What a terrible way to die, slow painful and alone.'_

She approached the door, opening it slowly and looking in. She saw him, in the whirlpool tub, it was filled with bubble bath. She couldn't see any blood, but the bubbles could be hiding it. He was so pale, and his eyes were closed, was he _dead_? She stepped in, he didn't move at all. She got up close to the tub, she couldn't see any signs of life. She freaked, screaming his name.**_ "Ron!"_**

To be continued…

* * *

'How Will I laugh Tomorrow' M. Muir and M. Clark, lyrics of the song above.

Inspired by Spider Girl #51, just in case you were wondering.


	2. In The Tub

In The Tub

She freaked, screaming his name. **"Ron!"**

"Gah!…KP?!" Ron about jumped out of his skin, he had fallen asleep in the tub.

"Ron, you're ok! You're alive!" She fell into the tub as she grabbed him in a hug. Spilling water and bubbles on the floor.

"Alive? Yes and I'm naked here too Kim--private time." He tried to cover himself up as best he could.

"I thought I'd lost you…when I got your note." She knelt over top of him and held him tightly as she cried.

"What note? Why would you have lost me?" Ron was wondering 'Does she know already?'

"I thought you were going to kill yourself. I don't know why I thought that when I read it but I did, I'm sorry."

"Kim you don't have to apologize for being concerned about me."

"Ron…I…Its just all the things it said…I thought…I thought of you." She lay her head against his.

"Kim." He enjoyed having Kim in the tub with him but he was not able to let her do this anymore.

"Ron I never want to lose you." She kissed him.

"Kim…before we go any further. Can I get dressed?"

Kim was **very** embarrassed when she suddenly realized that she was sitting on top of his naked body in a tub full of warm water and bubbles.

"You should change your clothes too Kim. Take some of mine out of the closet and put yours in the dryer." Kim got up off of him and dried off a little before going out into his room to change out of her wet clothes. Ron got out of the tub and began to towel off. He was surprised by the large bruise that was forming so quickly where Kim had landed on him. 'God I look like hell, no wonder she thought I was dead.' He suddenly had a sharp pain in his side and started coughing violently. Spitting up bloody chunks into the sink.

"Are you ok in there Ron?" She asked through the door.

"I am sick you know." She didn't need to know now just how sick he was. "I'll be out in a minute why don't you head down stairs."

Ron got dressed and made his way slowly down the stairs. He found Kim in the kitchen. She was dressed in his clothes. Even though they were very loose on her she looked beautiful. "You're looking good KP. Rroww."

She just rolled her eyes at him. He began to cough again.

"Are you sure you're ok Ron?" He waved his hand in a 'I'm fine' motion as he tried to repress his cough.

He walked into the kitchen and stood next to Kim. "Any ideas on who wrote it?"

"No. If it wasn't you then I have no idea who would have. Maybe Wade could scan it for prints or DNA or something." Kim got her Kimmunicator out and beeped Wade.

Wade appeared on the screen. "Hey Kim what's the… Why are you wearing Ron's clothes?"

"It's a long story Wade, I need you to scan this for prints, DNA, and any other clues as to who wrote it." Kim held the Kimmunicator over the paper as a green beam scanned its surface.

"I'll get back to you if I find anything."

"Thanks Wade."

Ron took the letter and read it. When he was finished he put it down and pulled up a chair next to Kim. "Kim do you really believe that I could **kill **myself over something so trivial?"

"What do you mean Ron?"

He reached out and took her hand in his looking in her eyes "Telling you that **I love you**. I always have and I always will. You know that don't you?"

Kim didn't know quite how to react, Ron had never been this forward with her in his life. "Ron I…I don't know what I know right now."

Flashback: Monday Afternoon

Terminal. Inoperable. The words hang over him like a dark cloud as he places the envelope into Kim's locker. 'How could I have cancer? I'm only 16 for Christ's sake. They say I don't have any chance of seeing the end of the week. She'll probably know I wrote this, and come looking for me. I'll tell her then…'

Ron led Kim out of the kitchen into the backyard. "Kim. I…we need to talk."

To Be Continued…


	3. For Life

For Life?

It was a warm bright sunny day outside."Ron are you sure its ok for you to be outside like this when you're so sick?"

"Kim being outside on a beautiful day like this, with you, is the best thing for me right now." Ron sat down on a bench and motioned for Kim to sit next to him. "Its ok Kim, you won't get sick off me or anything." When she sat down he pulled her in close to him. "I have a confession to make. I…I wrote that letter to tell you that I love you. I was so scared at the time that I couldn't think of a better way of telling you. I hope that you understand why. Why I couldn't tell you to your face how I felt. I have been wanting to tell you for a long time now. But now what with your being with Josh, I didn't want to make you think you had to choose between us. I always wished that it could have been me instead of him; but I want you to know that I think that Josh is really a great guy. No matter what I have said about him in the past. I only want you to be happy…"

Her concern for him reached a new high. "Ron why are you telling me all this? What's wrong?"

Ron pulled her in closer to him, holding her head against him when he told her. "Kim I…I have cancer."

"What?" Kim pulled her head away to look at him, she was scared now. She began to cry. "Can't they treat you, do chemo or something, anything?"

"No. Its too late for any of that. It was too late to do anything by the time I found out about it."

"How is that possible?" She choked out the words between her tears.

"Sunday, after dinner, I coughed up some blood. Mom and Dad took me to the Emergency Room. The Doctors took a chest X-ray. That's when they told me that I had cancer. They did an MRI to see how widespread it was. It was everywhere bone, muscle, lungs, liver, even my brain. They think it was a side effect from using the 'Molecular Muscle Enhancer Ring'. It must have forced the cancer through my entire system and augmented its growth." Ron remained very calm through his explanation.

"How can you be so laid back about this Ron? Having cancer. I'd be scared senseless."

"Kim I am **scared** right now. But I can deal with it, because I know what it is, being scared. It's what I don't know that scares me. Like not knowing how long…" His voice broke slightly. "…I have left."

"…no…" She buried her head in his chest, sobbing.

He held her close, rocking her gently in his arms. "Kim please don't cry. You'll be alright. You'll get through this. You're the strong one, always remember that." He began to shiver slightly, like he was cold. Kim said nothing, she just kept crying.

"Kim I want you to know that all these years of being your friend. They meant a lot to me. You are the only true friend I ever had. Even when I didn't deserve to have you as one. All the times I screwed up. All the times I used my friendship with you as leverage against you. I'm sorry." Ron kissed her forehead.

"I haven't exactly always been the best friend to you either Ron…Whenever Josh was around I…I always treated you so badly. I took you for granted…I lied to you…I wasn't a good friend…I never deserved someone as nice as you…I'm sorry."

"Kim. All those things, all the times I thought you were doing things a friend wouldn't do…" He coughed, "I never stopped…loving you." He stopped shivering and Kim felt his grip on her loosen.

"Ron? Ron? Oh god…Don't do this to me…This isn't happening." She shook him gently, then not so gently. "Ron wake up. I love you. Please wake up. God no…no…no." She cried. Holding him in her arms.

THE END?


	4. Second Chance?

Second Chances

"Ron? Ron? Oh god…Don't do this to me…This isn't happening." She shook him gently, then not so gently. "Ron wake up. I love you. Please wake up. God no…no…no." She cried. Holding him in her arms.

Kim knew that if Ron was going to have any chance of living she had to pull herself together. She checked his neck for a pulse, it was there but very weak. She reached into her pants pocket and grabbed her Kimmunicator, "Wade I need an ambulance here. NOW!!"

"I'll get one to you right away Kim. What's going on?" Wade hasn't seen Kim this worked up, ever.

"Ron has cancer and will die if we don't do something drastic to save him."

"Drastic like how?"

"Drakken drastic. I need a fast ride to Florence and a meeting with the Warden of ADX. Please and thank you." Kim could finally hear the ambulance sirens approaching. "Hang on Ron. Stay alive for me…for us."

The Hospital

Kim rode with Ron in the back of the ambulance all the way to Middleton Medical Center. "You have to keep him alive."

The Medical Center staff knew that the odds for Ron weren't good. "The most we can do is try Kim."

"Keep him alive until I get back. I'm going for help." With that she ran out of the building to a waiting Hyper-Sonic jet.

ADX

"Inmate 1100646. Report ready to receive a visitor." Drakken could be described as slightly befuddled, he had never in all his previous incarcerations had a visitor. He cleaned up a bit and stood at the door of his cell. Waiting for the two guard escort to take him to the visitor center.

"Do you know who it is? Is it my mom?" Drakken knew the rules, no talking to guards, but he had to know.

"You will find out who it is when you get there Inmate 1100646. Now be QUIET!" He decided to shut up for the rest of the walk.

"Hello Drakken."

The oh so familiar voice of…"Kim Possible? What do you want?"

"I need…your help."

"Me, help you? Never!" He crossed his arms defiantly.

She stood up and got right up in his face. "I know that you don't have any reason to want to help me." She jabbed his chest with her finger. "Unless you don't want to have to spend 23 and a half hours a day, every day, for the rest of your miserable life in a 7 by 12 foot cell."

"You could get me released?" His tone changed when he thought about being free again.

"I could call in some favors to see about an arrangement. If you agree to help me that is."

"What sort of help?"

"The cloning and brain switching kind."

Rise

"This had better work Drakken." She didn't expect treachery, but was ready for it.

"It will. I think."

"If it doesn't…They'll have to invent a new word for the things I will do to you." Hearing that made Drakken wonder if agreeing to help Kim was a sound decision.

"It will…But he has to remain in the Incubator Chamber (IC) for 14 days. Cloning a body can't be done in a rush, if you want it done right."

Cables were attached and switches flipped. The brain switch machine hummed to life. Nothing left to do now, but wait.

Kim pressed the 'communicator' button on the IC. "Ron?"

His new eyes slowly opened when he heard Kim's voice. "Kim?"

"Ron. How do you feel?" Kim placed her hand against the smooth glass chamber.

"Confused. Why can't I move?"

"Call it a necessary evil." Drakken stood in the corner, smiling.

"Dr. Drakken!? What is **he** doing here?"

"He helped me save your life."

"How?"

"He cloned you a new body and used the brain switch machine to transfer your mind to it."

"WHAT?! Kim you can't trust him. What were you thinking going to him?"

"I had to Ron. I couldn't let you go." She started to sob 

Ron could never stand to see Kim cry. "Kim. I'm sorry. I guess I should be thanking you both. For saving me." He would take her in his arms to reassure her, if he was able. "Kim I need to speak with Drakken for a minute…Alone. Could you wait outside?"

"Ok Ron. I guess." Kim was reluctant to leave Drakken alone with Ron. So she called in two guards to keep a close eye on him. "Keep **him **in line."

Kim left the room and Drakken walked over to stand next to Ron. "What do you want Ron?"

"At least you finally remembered my name…" They talked for what turned out to be much more than just a minute. When they were finished the two armed guards escorted Drakken out of the room. "Okay Kim, you can come back in now." Ron knew that she had been trying to listen in on the conversation.

Kim sat down in a chair next to the IC. "What did you two talk about?"

"Just going over the particulars of what happened today. Nothing too spectacular."

"Ron…" She could tell when he wasn't being totally honest with her.

"Oh man. Come on Kim, go easy on me just this once." She wouldn't and he knew it, but it never hurt to ask.

"Ron what did you talk about?"

"I asked him why he agreed to help you. And if we could trust him."

"Do you?"

"I'm not sure. You'd better get Wade over here. I think we have 14 days to figure out if this is for real or not."


	5. The Once and Future Ron

The Once and Future Ron

"Bah! Why do I have to stay in this tiny room? I got enough of this in prison." Drakken didn't enjoy having to spend all day cooped up. He wanted to feel the sun shining on his face.

"I already told you Drew. We want to check your work is all. Wade should be finished with his scan soon enough." Kim hated having to watch Drakken. She would much rather be spending time with Ron, even if only to be near him. She thought she lost him once already. Never again.

"My work is perfection. You came to the right person for help Kim Possible." Drakken certainly was smug, perfection doesn't get sent to prison for life.

"Zip it Drew." Wade should be done soon enough, then she could see Ron again. "I had thought of going to DNAmy. She is, after all, the geneticist, not you."

"DNAmy. Ha! She's a hack compared to me." Drakken was going into his rant mode. "I mean oh sure she had a few nice toys. But once I had a chance to examine them it was easy enough to duplicate them."

Wade stepped into the room. "The scan is complete Kim. You were right to call me. Drakken did alter some of Ron's DNA."

"What!? Drakken…" Kim turned to her **guest **with a hateful look in her eyes.

"Calm down woman." Anything to stave off a beating, he got enough of those from Shego, but that's another story. "I had to. I mean unless you **wanted** him to get cancer again. I had to tweak his code slightly is all, replace a few segments here and there, nothing major."

Kim trusted him about as much as she trusted Bonnie. "Anything in your scan to indicate future problems Wade?"

"Nothing I could find Kim." Wade wouldn't let anything slip past him, and Kim knew it.

"I already told you a hundred times he'll be fine, probably better than fine." Drakken boasted.

"Why? What's your scheme?" Kim couldn't bring herself to ever trust Drakken, not completely.

"I don't have a **scheme**. Well other than doing something you couldn't. When I defeat you, and believe me I will **defeat** you. I want it to mean something, this would have been too easy…Besides I would never harm a fellow disciple of Snowman Hank." He paused. "Well not when he was defenseless…" he paused again. "Well not **this** defenseless anyway."

"Wade?" Kim had to know if Ron would be ok.

"Its like I said Kim. Ron should be fine, once he comes out of the IC." Wade had to admit it, Drakken was living up to his end of the bargain.

"You get to stay here for 2 more days Drakken. If everything works out with Ron, then you can go." Kim hated to admit it but Drakken did what he said he would.

"Finally." Drakken just sighed and sat down on his chair.

2 Days Later

"Ready to open the IC. Commencing sequence…now." Drakken flipped some switches and pressed buttons. The liquid around Ron began to drain away. After the container was empty the seal was broken and the lid taken off. Two aides helped Ron out and put a robe on him.

Kim rushed to his side, helping him stand up. He didn't seem as healthy as Drakken said he would be. "How do you feel Ron?"

"Weak and tired." Ron sat down on a bed that had been brought into the room.

Kim looked at Drakken with a renewed suspicion. "I thought you said he'd be 'better than fine'."

"It will take him a few hours to get used to standing again is all. This new body should actually be stronger than the old one." Drakken walked over to stand next to Ron and do a few last checks on his patient. He declared Ron to be in perfect health, and Wade confirmed it.

"Thank you Drakken." Ron shook the villains hand.

"You can go now. Thank you." Kim planted a small kiss on Drakken's cheek.

"Sweet freedom." Before Drakken could get over his kiss two guards took a hold of him. "What?"

"Oh you of course realize that I couldn't actually get you released. But I did manage to get you transferred to a medium security prison." Kim smiled at Drakken as he was dragged out of the room.

"You think you're all that, but you're not!" Drakken shouted back at the teen heroine.

"That was kinda harsh Kim." Ron couldn't believe that Kim wouldn't honor her end of the bargain.

"It was an act, for the guards. He knew he'd be going back to prison. I couldn't get his sentence commuted, he'll probably escape before the end of the week anyway. And I'll go after him."

Her choice of words made Ron wonder. "What do you mean? 'I'll go after him' What about me?"

"Ron. I've been thinking about that. The whole sidekick thing. I don't want you to be just my sidekick anymore." Kim said it so casually that Ron missed the 'just'.

"WHAT?!"

"Calm down Ron. Its not that you haven't been a great partner or anything. Its just that well…" Kim appeared to be struggling for the words to tell him.

"Its just what?" Ron was almost on the verge of tears.

"I want you to give me a chance."

"Chance?" Ron was confused now.

"To be the friend you deserve…" Kim took his hand. "…the girlfriend you deserve."

"Girl…friend?" The two words rattle together in his head. "What about Josh? I thought you said you two were made for each other."

"Things can change Ron. I wasn't sure that I even wanted to do this. I didn't want to risk everything we have as friends on something that might not work out." Kim was the one nearly crying now.

"Are you sure now?" He thought he was sure how he felt about Kim.

"No. But I know if I wait until I'm absolutely sure. If I wait until everything is perfect. I could miss my chance." Kim was crying now, thinking about how close she had come to losing Ron before. "I don't **ever** want to have to wonder what might have been. Ron…I want to have the chance to make you happy. To make us both happy. I'll always love you Ron." They hugged each other, crying together.

A Long Time Since Then

"Grandpa who is this? It isn't Grandma." A young boy, around 8 or 9, held up an old photo of a teenage girl.

"Where'd you find that?" He asked sort of surprised. 'I thought I had gotten rid of all those old photos.'

"It was in the attic. I finded it in an old box under some toys. Who is it?" The boy climbed onto the couch to sit next to his Grandfather.

"She and I. We were friends back then, when this photo was taken. I thought maybe I was in love with her, but it turned out to be more of a puppy love crush. We drifted apart after a while. I don't know what ever happened to her." He had the beginnings of tears forming in his eyes.

"She was cute." The young boy stated.

"She was cute wasn't she…" His voice trailed off.

"Are you ok honey?" His wife was home and saw him looking sad.

"Grandma!" The boy was excited to see her back from church. "I was just showing Grandpa this picture I finded in the attic." He held it out for her to see.

She took it in her hand and looked at it and then at her husband. "You still love her don't you?" She saw the tears in his eyes and sat down next to him. "Its ok dear." She took his hand in hers. "I know that your first love never leaves you. I still think about my first love from time to time" Her eyes began to sparkle just thinking of him.

"You aren't going to bring up **his **name are you?"

"You mean Ron Stoppable?" Her voice had a hint of tease in it.

"No Josh Man…wait…oh you…Kimberly Anne!" She had gotten him…again. One of these days **maybe **he would learn to know when she was teasing him. He hugged her close and they kissed.

"Icky!" The little boy ran out of the room.

"I wonder what ever happened to her." He sighed as he looked at the picture.

Kim bit her tongue, figuratively speaking. "You know as well as I that Zita moved to Go City after she married Wade. We just went to see them last month." His Alzheimer's had been getting worse lately. He was forgetting more and more of his life. 'As long as he never forgets about how happy we are to have each other.'

"Oh yeah. Guess I forgot about that. I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize to me Ron. I'll always love you. No matter what."

The End

AN: There you go a sort of 'happy' type of ending. Hope you liked it.


End file.
